John Grammer

John Grammer offers private guitar, bass and drum lessons as well as Rock Band classes for the Arts Center. A professional musician and music teacher for more than forty years, John began his musical studies at the age of seven with piano and drums. He began studying French horn and theory in high school performing with the Louisville youth orchestra for five years.

John continued the horn with William Sloane and percussion with Ted Otten and Elisabaeth Friese at the University of Louisville. At Bellarmine College, while studying theory and composition with Don Murray, he started playing the guitar.

Over his long career he has performed throughout the southern and mid-western United States as well as in Europe with orchestras, rock bands, musicals and jazz and chamber music ensembles. He has been featured sideman on recordings for television, various songwriters and commercials. HIs diversity of style on guitar ranges from Renaissance lute music to jazz fusion, blues, and contemporary chamber music.

John described a unique style to his teaching, he said, "I have all my students learn to read music, but as a primary tool for playing by ear."